MEP calls for workers get a Fairtrade break

Offices and factories are being urged to give their staff a Fairtrade break by West Midlands MEP James Carver.

The UKIP Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs spokesman, who lives in Worcester, is calling on bosses to stock their office kitchens and factory canteens with tea, coffee and snacks to help drive much-needed change for farmers in developing countries.

In the run up to Fairtrade Fortnight, which starts on Monday February 27, Mr Carver said: “We can all do our bit by buying Fairtrade drinks and snacks, like biscuits, to help ensure a fair deal for disadvantaged farming communities in the least developed countries.”

He pointed to Kenya’s coffee and tea-growing regions, where one in three people live in poverty, while tea pickers in Malawi earn less than £1.46 a day.

“This is not enough to provide decent food, education or healthcare for their families or invest in better farming,” he said.

Mr Carver added that farmers get a better deal when they sell their crops on Fairtrade terms so by choosing products bearing the FAIRTRADE Mark consumers are helping farmers earn a viable income and an extra premium they can invest in vital community, business and environmental projects.